How The Shift Project is raising awareness on the e-waste crisis

Fast tech vs fast fashion

Everyone knows what fast fashion is, right? The fashion industry is notorious for creating products in bulk that don’t stand the test of time, and so we buy and chuck to satiate our need for new, without considering the long-term impact of our actions. 

Well, it’s the same with fast tech. If you don’t know the term, get to know it. 

In essence, it represents the cycle of buying, using, and tossing out electronic devices – quickly and often unnecessarily.

Think: A new phone every year, “smart” earbuds that stop working after 18 months, or miscellaneous gadgets you used twice that now live in a drawer. 

Right now, Big Tech companies are pumping out new iterations of the same product when your current device works just fine. You might not be aware of it but planned obsolescence – when devices stop receiving the latest software updates or batteries degrade – means that we’re pushed to replace as opposed to repair to sustain the length of our devices. Plus, who hasn’t been sucked in by a glossy marketing campaign advertising the latest, hottest thing guaranteed to advance your daily life.

But why is it an issue?

The e-waste crisis

According to the 2024 Global E-waste Monitor Report conducted by UNITAR, electronic waste is rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling facilities. If we break that down, out of the 62 million tonnes of global e-waste recorded in 2022, less that one quarter (22.3%) was recorded having been collected and recycled leaving $62 billion worth of recoverable natural resources (like gold and cobalt) unaccounted for and increasing pollution risks to communities worldwide.

The reality is, a discarded product with a plug or battery is a health and environmental hazard, because they contain toxic additives and hazardous substances like mercury, which can seriously damage our health and the planet. If we don’t act now, this can have a critical effect on our future.

French company The Shift Project – a think tank who work to decarbonise the economy – are just one institution seeking change. 

“Our main goal is to reduce carbon emissions in society and better allocate the critical resources we have left – especially those that are finite or environmentally sensitive,” says IT architect and Shift Project member, Franck Pramotton. “We act as consultants. We collaborate with NGOs, lawmakers, and public agencies to highlight and reduce the environmental footprint of the digital world.”

Why repair matters

All this liaising has to happen because the legal landscape when it comes to global e-waste is hard to navigate. 

“There are international agreements, like the Basel Convention, which lets countries control what waste they accept and ensures exporting countries manage it responsibly,” continues Pramotton, “There’s also the Bamako Convention, which bans hazardous waste exports to Africa – but not all countries have signed it. Ghana, for example, receives large volumes of e-waste and hasn’t signed.”

To stop e-waste being illegally shipped and dumped to third-world countries, companies like The Shift Project are campaigning for a long-term solution. There are three options, to repair, reuse, or recycle.

“Ideally, it’s sent to a proper recycling facility – that’s the “red carpet” route,” he says. “But only 20-22% of e-waste actually ends up there. Most of it doesn’t get handled properly.

“There are also efforts to make devices more repairable, to reduce how often they’re discarded. The EU, for instance, aims to recycle 85% of e-waste – but most countries are currently only hitting 40-60%. A lot of small appliances or phones get tossed into general waste bins – ending up in landfills or incinerators.”

And that’s where we come in. It’s so easy to disregard something when it’s not right in front of you. You might think: Yes, e-waste is negatively impacting the planet but it’s not affecting me. Wrong. The increased floods, wild fires and melted glaciers are just some of the ways we’re witnessing the effects of climate change. 

If we are more mindful about our consumption, be it buying vintage fashion or repairing your tech, we can make incremental change for the better. 

“Just like fast fashion, fast tech is driven by marketing, trends, peer pressure, and the need to constantly upgrade,” says Pramotton. “[As a solution] when it comes to recycling, we’re making progress  – but not fast enough. There is a lot of work to do.”

Scroll up to watch our video interview with Franck Pramotton and discover more about The Shift Project below.